The George and Dragon Public House Potton

George & Dragon Public House: 2 - 4 King Street, Potton [formerly White Hart also George and Globe]

George & Dragon in March 2007

The history of this public house| is difficult to piece together and can be confused with the George,| thus the following is to some extent Conjectural. From records held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service it seems as though the premises was first called the White Hart. A lease (part of a conveyance by lease and release) of 1704 records sale of a White Hart by John Atkinson to Robert Hambe. At some point Hambe must have sold it, or devised it in his will, because the next reference is in 1725 when it was mortgaged by an Edmund Halfhyde. This public house is clearly a freehold building (as only freehold buildings could be conveyed), it is simply described as "in Potton".

 A White Hart is next mention in 1759 but this is a copyhold building, held from the Manor of Potton Rectoria, with copyhold properties the owner was the tenant of the Lord of the Manor (although by this date the only real power of the Manor over the property was to charge a rent for it and impose a fine (the Manor's cut!) when it was sold). It thus seems as if this is likely to have been a different building to the first White Hart. This alehouse was redeemed from mortgage by Ephraim Wilson in that year. The entry makes it clear that Wilson had bought it from Luke Astwood of Potton, who had had it from his father, who had been left it in the will of Thomas Endersby. Wilson sold the alehouse (by surrendering it in the manor court) to Henry Winn, a grocer and tallow chandler in 1765. This building is described as near the Market Place in the document of 1759 and in the Market Place in that of 1765, consistent with the modern position of the George & Dragon.

 As discussed under the entry for the George it is a working hypothesis that that inn was destroyed, or at least badly damaged, in the Great Fire of Potton of Thursday 14 Aug 1783 and never reopened. King Street also suffered extensively in the fire and the same may have happened to the White Hart. At any rate it may have been this incident which prompted a change of name to the George (and later the George & Dragon). A number of victuallers, and those in related trades, but not the names of their establishments, are noted in the published general account of those losing money by the fire - they comprise: James Newport; William Crook (also a tailor); Peter Pettite; William Dobson; James Ind (brewer); Robert Musgrave (maltster); William Fowler (brewer); William Mean (at the Crown); Francis Mayes; and John Smith (at the George). The theory is strengthened by the fact that The George is recorded as an inn in Potton in 1813 and afterwards and the list of licenses of alehouses from 1822 to 1828 records, in which no White Hart is listed.

The George was conveyed by Thomas Margetts to George Kitchen senior and junior in 1836, but George Kitchen junior died soon afterwards, devising the business to George kitchen senior, who sold the inn and other property by auction in 1847 (at the Crown!).

Site layout plan from a sale catalogue of 1847 [WG2441]

The George is described as an "old established inn", a more detailed description being: "freehold, substantially brick-built and tiled, with large Yard, extensive Stabling, Corn Shops, and other Outbuildings, in a most advantageous situation and doing a good trade; now let to Mr.Day at a rental of £36 per annum, which rental includes all the premises now occupied by Mr.Fisher with the George Inn. This lot to be subject to a right of cart way to lot 1, as delineated on the plan". Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service has no other documents about the inn other than entries in the various licensing registers and the valuation carried out in 1927 under the 1925 Rating Valuation Act. The valuer made the cryptic remark on his notepad "I think personality here". More prosaically he noted three bedrooms and attics upstairs with, below, a parlour, smoke room, tap room, living room, kitchen and cellar. He noted that it was bounded by the Rose & Crown and that average weekly trade amounted to four and a half barrels and six dozen bottles of beer along with six bottles of spirits. Owned with the public house was a farm at the rear occupied by the licensee consisting of a large barn and loft which was part sublet as a potato store and partly used for wood by the licensee; there was also a 3 bay cart hovel, loose box, two stall stable and a store.

 The George & Dragon has been owned by a number of breweries such as Day & Son of St.Neots, then by Frederick Fisher of Potton, then Benskins of Watford, who were bought out by Ind Coope in 1967. The George & Dragon is still [Mar 2007] a public house, now owned by Greene King.

References:
- AD3324: White Hart conveyed by John Atkinson to Robert Hambe: 1704;
- AD3325: recited mortgage of White Hart from Edmund Halfhyde to John Atkinson: 1725;
- AD3325: assignment of mortgage of White Hart from John Atkinson to John Ringstead: 1732;
- AD345/3/5: warrant of John Edwards to acknowledge redemption of mortgage on White Hart by Ephraim Wilson: 1759;
- AD345/3/6: surrender of former White Hart by Ephraim Wilson to Henry Winn: 1765;
- P64/18/7: vestry meeting held at inn: 1813;
- X440/252-253 and 258: sale particulars of various properties available at inn: 1813;
- X744/46 and 48: Tithe Commissioners to meet at inn: 1815;
- CLP13: Register of Alehouse Licenses: 1822-1828;
- Z858/28/6-7: auction sale held at inn: 1825;
- AD3889-3890: recited conveyance of George, "formerly the White Hart Inn" by Thomas Margetts to George Kitchen senior and junior: 1836;
- AD3889-3890: recited will of George Kitchen junior devising all real estate to George Kitchen senior: 1836;
- AD3889-3890: further mortgage by George Kitchen senior to Octavius Robert Wilkinson: 1836;
- AD3889-3890: recited mortgage from George Kitchen senior to Octavius Robert Wilkinson: 1836;
- WG2441: sale catalogue: 1847;
- HF143/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1872-1873;
- HF143/2: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1874-1877;
- HF147/2/572: depositions regarding a disturbance at the public house leading to the ejection of a customer on Potton Fair day: 1875;
- HF143/3: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1878-1881;
- HF143/4: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1882-1890;
- HF143/5: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1891-1900;
- HF143/6: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1900-1914;
- PSBW8/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1903-1915;
- Z753/1/2: meeting place of Ancient Order of Druids: 1904;
- DV1/C12: rating valuation: 1927;
- PSBW8/2: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1956-1972;
- PSBW8/3: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade and North Bedfordshire Petty Sessional Divisions: 1976-1980.

List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:

1732: John Merridon;
1818 Thomas Ellis;
1822-1824: Rachael Ellis;
1828: William King;
1830: William Woodward;
1836: William Peters;
1839: James Bennett;
1847: Fisher;
1850-1869: Wiliam Wales/Wiles [George & Dragon – King Street];
1872-1873: Henry Coull;
1873-1875: George Abbiss;
1875-1881: Henry Gudgin;
1881-1886: Thomas Parkin;
1886-1888: William Parkin;
1888-1889: Frances Bingham;
1889: Eliza Brown;
1889-1892: Sarah Brown;
1892-1904: Walter Meeks Bentley;
1904-1905: Francis Henry Cox;
1905-1909: John Warboys;
1909-1912: Leonard Surtees;
1912-1924: Harry Vincent Sopwell;
1927: Alexander Charles Hilton;
1931: Walter J Bennett;
1936: Thomas W.Kirby;
1940: Arthur Wilkinson;
1957-1960: George Louis Walker;
1960-1967: Alec Free;
1967: Charles Thomas Clarke;
1976: Stanley Ronald Appleby